WATCH Nando’s Makes Fun of South Africans’ “You People” Stereotyping

As ‘they’ say, Nando’s has done it again – with an advert as hot as their chicken peri peri… poking fun at South African society and highlighting an important issue, but with humour. The issue in this case is the South African tendency to group people who are different to them as “you people”… resulting in stereotyping, and – as the ad shows – quite often revealing hypocrisy!

The South African restaurant chain (that’s loved around the world) posted the video yesterday, saying: “We’re talking to #YouPeople, yes, also you. Niya fana, NONKE!”

The ad features South Africans in various typical scenarios… from Korean women doing manicures to a black Adam Catzavelos who has difficulty pronouncing ‘beach’.

WATCH #YouPeople

In a statement, Nando’s explained it’s a phrase that goes hand in hand with unconscious bias. “It’s used in jest, as a slight and even in outright confrontation… and many South Africans are likely to have used the phrase at one time or another. We’ve all been guilty, some more than others, of you-peopling us people. It’s what makes you people all the same, Nonke!

Doug Place, Nando’s chief marketing officer, said: “A year ago we reminded South Africans that we can fix our sh*t and this ‘you-peopling’ is something we can all fix.”

He said: “If you’re watching our ad and say ‘I’ve done that’ (hopefully with a guilty smile), then we’ve been successful at starting a crucial conversation — hopefully one that starts with ‘us people’.”